Public Spaces and Quality of Life in Cities
EURA Conference in Brno, Czech Republic
 
 
Conference date:
September 23 – 25, 2004

Conference place:
Faculty of Architecture Technical University of Brno, Porici 5, Brno, Czech Republic
 
 
Conference theme:

Over the last decade issues surrounding public space and its uses have attracted the attention of sociologists, architects, geographers, etc, as well as municipal politicians reflecting on the impact of years of neglect and lack of investment in such spaces. Thus, both in theoretical and practical terms, the problems surrounding public space, its use and position within the city, is of importance to all those who research, manage, live and work in the modern city. Moreover, local communities have become increasingly concerned with such spaces, how they are used and their impact(s) on communities.
 
Increasingly judgements about particular cities and towns take into account the quality of their public spaces (e.g. the existence or nonexistence of pedestrian zones, parks, residential squares, etc). The conference will focus on:

· How we judge the quality of public spaces
· What constitutes a desirable public space
· How public spaces are used
· The position and role public spaces occupy within the wider urban structure
· The role of public space in attracting investment
· How public spaces can improve the quality of life for citizens of cities
· People's experiences of public spaces
 
All of these factors play an important role in determining how city life is evaluated and how desirable particular cities are considered to be regarding investment, living, working, raising families, etc. The problems surrounding public space and its use is thus not merely an issue for architects and politicians but has much wider implications for other academic disciplines and professions (e.g. sociology, psychology, ecology and traffic engineering) as well as for the inhabitants of cities. This conference seeks to investigate how both academic and policy orientated research has addressed these issues and the implications for the future of the modern city.
 
 
Conference program:

Friday 23.9. 2004
14.00 - 15.00 Registration
15.00 Opening Session
EURA Executive Committee Member
Dean of Faculty of Architecture
Workshop 1
Workshop 2 / 3
Conference reception
 
Saturday 24.9. 2004
Workshop 4 / 5
Workshop 6 / (7)
Closing Plenary
Excursion in Brno
Conference reception
 
Sunday 25.9. 2004
Optional excursion – Kromeriz or Lednice
 
 
Timetable of Conference Preparation: 
 
Juny 2003Conference Proposal
September 20031st Advertisment about the Conference in EURA and TU Newspapers and web sites
31. December 2003Call for Papers, Contribution Abstracts
31. May 2004Final Conference Proposal
Conference Papers in written form (for conference collection)
30. Juny 2004Conference Application Term
23. – 25. September 2004Conference Duration (Conference Collection could be available during the Conference)
 
 
Conference fee:

EURA Members300 EUR (9.000,- CZK)
Non EURA members400 EUR (12.000,- CZK)
East European and Ph.D. students150 EUR (4.500,- CZK)
 
Payment must be transferred to Account No. 179322439/0300
Bank Address: CSOB a.s., Na Prikope 14, Praha 1, CZ
Swift address: CEKOCZPP
Payment purpose: Conference fee
 
 
Proposed Accomodation:
 
Holiday Inn ****, 10 mins walk from school, price 73-169 EUR per night,
address: Křížkovského 20, CZ-603 00 Brno,
tel.: +420 543 246 693, +420 543 122 018, fax: +420 543 246 990
e-mail: reservations@hibrno.cz, homepage: www.hibrno.cz
 
Hotel Austerlitz ***, 3 mins walk from school, price 43-96 EUR per night,
address: Hlinky 66, CZ-603 00 Brno,
tel.: +420 543 214 718, fax: +420 543 242 151
e-mail: a-austerlitz@elnet.cz, homepage: www.setyormat.com/a-a
 
Hotel Voronez - Congress Centre ****, 5 mins walk from school, price 55-282 EUR per night,
address: Křížkovského 47 CZ-603 73 Brno,
tel.: +420 543 141 377, fax: +420 543 141 371
e-mail: accom@voronez.cz, homepage: www.voronez.cz
 
Hotel Voronez II ***, 5 mins walk from school, price 47-184 EUR per night,
address: Křížkovského 49, CZ-603 73 Brno,
tel.: +420 543 142 030, fax: +420 543 211 966
e-mail: voronez2@voronez.cz, homepage: www.voronez.cz
 
Student hostel - Penzion Palacky, 20 mins by train from school, price 19-67 EUR per night
address: Kolejní 2, CZ-612 00 Brno,
tel.: +420 541 641 418, fax: +420 549 257 356
e-mail: sopkova@skm.vutbr.cz
 
Penzion U královny Elišky, 5 mins walk from school, price 14-62 EUR per night
address: Mendlovo náměstí 1 a, CZ-603 00 Brno,
tel.: +420 543 216 898, +420 543 247 872, fax: +420 543 247 872
e-mail: hotelvinarna@tiscali.cz, homepage: www.itn.cz/penzion/
 
More accomodation possibilities and information about city of Brno are avaiable at internet address: www.brno.cz
 
 
Conference Preparatory Commitee:

Josef Chybik, Dean of FA TU Brno
Jan Koutny, Head of Urban Theory Department FA TU Brno
Vladimira Silhankova, Urban Theory Department, FA TU Brno
Jaroslav Josifek, City Architect Brno
Josef Markvart, Institut of Urban Research Brno
Marketa Cablova, Civitas per Populi
 
Organizational Support:
Petra Pokludova, Ph.D. student of FA TU Brno, Civitas per Populi
Miroslava Prokopova, Ph.D. student of FA TU Brno, Civitas per Populi
 
Technical Support:
Maxmilian Wittmann, FA TU Brno
Miloslav Sohr, Ph.D. student of FA TU Brno
 
 
About Organisers:

Faculty of Architecture, Technical University of Brno
Faculty of Architecture, Technical University at Brno is traditional institution concerned on education of Urbanism and Town Planning and site of intensive science research of towns and their public spaces. Many studies and theoretical works about this theme originated here at past and present. Granted research of Czech Grant Agency with theme "Street in the Urban Pattern" or „Public Spaces in Urban Planning Practice“ are the most current. More info at internet address www.fa.vutbr.cz

Civitas per Populi
NGO CIVITAS PER POPULI was established beside Faculty of Architecture. This NGO proposes mainly post-graduate and whole-life education in branches influencing form of urban environment in sense of healthy living and housing city environment creation (e.g. urbanism, architecture, social geography, sociology, psychology). Means of realization of this goals are especially organizing of educational events for students and specialists community – lectures, lecture cycles, summer schools, excursions, study travels, stages and so on. More info at internet address www.volny.cz/civitasperpopuli
 
 
Contact:

Dr. Vladimira Silhankova
Head of NGO Civitas per Populi
Urban theory department,
Faculty of Architecture TU Brno
Porici 5, CZ-639 00 Brno
e-mail: vladimira.silhankova@atlas.cz

Download: Conference registration form